1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to device management and more specifically relates to device management in a Web Based Enterprise Management (“WBEM”) environment.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Web Based Enterprise Management (“WBEM”) comprises standard-based technologies for a client to communicate system/device management messages with a computer system. Because WBEM is extensible and provides platform-neutral tools and applications that are reusable, WBEM has become one of the most popular choices for managing computer systems and their devices. In some environments, WBEM is the only choice offered for a vendor to support device management. For example, in order to manage a device in the VMware ESX Server product and certain embedded operating environments, a vendor either is required to conform to the WBEM standard or offers no device management at all.
Offering no device management is unacceptable. However, conforming to the WBEM standard generally results in the abandonment of valuable investments in existing tools, applications, and management libraries that already operate in non-WBEM environments. Many customers are already familiar with the existing tools and applications. Similarly, many software developers are also already familiar with the existing management libraries rather than the new WBEM technologies. Accordingly, developing a brand new set of tools, applications, and management libraries is not only costly, but is also burdensome to customers and software developers.
Thus it is an ongoing challenge to support device management in a WBEM environment.